A former NSW detective was shot in the face in Melbourne after acting as a stand over man in his friend's business dispute, a court has been told.
Mark Dixon, 30, Jack Harvey, 26, and Stephen Tahaney, 29, are charged with the attempted murder of real estate agent and ex-NSW police officer Said Morgan at Point Cook on February 21.
Tahaney had invested $5000 in the business of Mr Morgan's friend Daniel Saddik before it went sour, Melbourne Magistrates Court was told on Monday.
Philip Dunn QC, acting for Tahaney, accused Mr Saddik of being a con man who stole money from the company, OZ Property Maintenance Group, and then got Mr Morgan to act as a stand over man in the dispute.
"Did you ask Mr Morgan to come down and assist you after you were accused of being dishonest?" Mr Dunn asked.
"No, not at all," Mr Saddik replied.
"I may have told him what was going on and I may have asked him (for advice)."
Mr Dunn said Mr Morgan's advice "was to threaten people".
"He used your phone ... he sent you and your wife copies of murderous threats he was making to other people."
Mr Saddik replied: ""I wasn't aware of that, mate".
Mr Morgan was acquitted in the 1990s of the murder of his brother-in-law, Mansour Suha, in Sydney.
It had been alleged Mr Suha molested young girls and Mr Morgan thought the children's lives were in danger.
Dixon, Harvey and Tahaney are accused of intentionally and recklessly causing serious injury to the ex-policeman outside a Point Cook home, located in the suburb's Sanctuary Lakes Resort where Mr Saddik lives.
In court on Monday, a security guard who works at the estate said Mr Saddik had complained about receiving death threats regarding a business dispute.
"It was somebody who was jealous ... because he was taking someone's money away," the guard, Robert Petrie, said.
The court hearing is due to continue on Tuesday, with more evidence from Mr Saddik.
Australian Associated Press
